AMERICA, AMERICA - Why AMERICA? -Andrew Strom.

Following on my previous post about the 14 Predictions made by Revivalist, Andrew Strom, I also publish the following, received from Andrew this morning:


Since I published my "Updated 14 Predictions" there have been some people questioning- "Does Andrew hate the USA? Why is America at the center of these prophecies?"

The reasons are very simple. But first let me say that I love America and it is one of my favorite places on earth.  But this does not stop me seeing the influence that America has been 'broadcasting'.  By far the biggest reason why God has me speak to America in this way is because she is the 'LEADER' in the earth.

It used to be, only 50 years ago, that America mostly spread good things and stood for righteousness far more than evil. But in the last 30 years American culture has changed so much that the "righteousness" she is broadcasting is far outweighed by the moral sickness and perversion. And she is the 'Leader'.

To give just one example of this, the worldwide Pornography industry is based out of America - and makes billions of dollars by spreading perversion and lust around the planet. And that is
only one example. It is the 'YOUTH' worldwide that are getting hit.

But why was America at the center of the "bad" financial prophecies that I put out? Well - it is hitting Europe just as bad. But it is true - America is at the center. 


Here are further reasons:-
- It is not because I "hate" America. I love the place. And the "heartland" of that country has some of the most wonderful people I have ever met.  - But America is the "Leader" in the earth - and this makes for greater influence and greater RESPONSIBILITY. The Bible says
that Leaders will receive a "stricter" judgment. This is exactly what is going on with America right now.

- Also the financial crisis began in the USA. - And I was living in the USA when I published most of those predictions. They will hit other nations, but America is a primary target. Why? Because she is the LEADER. And though she used to be an influence for good, she is now broadcasting a flood of lust, materialism and sickness around the globe.

- People do not realize how all-pervasive American culture is - especially amongst the youth of the world. When American culture turns sick, it affects the entire planet. The youth of the
whole earth watch American music videos, TV, pornography, movies, games, etc,- day and night.  It never used to be this sick but now it is. And it is no exaggeration to say that today America is the number one source of spiritual sickness and corruption amongst Youth worldwide.

You might say- "But other countries are "bad" too. Why pick on America?" I say again that it is because she is the "Leader".   And everything she does influences the nations of the whole earth.

America is also the only historic "Land of Revivals" that the West has left. And she is the "SPIRITUAL" leader in the earth also.  For generations now the church worldwide has looked to the USA for leadership and teaching in Christianity. Now this too is corrupted - and for 30 years now the USA has used its influence to spread "Prosperity" teaching and all kinds of spiritual compromise to other countries - more and more.

I do not believe God can simply sit back and allow this to go on.  He HAS to act - and I believe He is.  If America will not come back to Him through mighty Revival, then judgment is at the doors.

I do not believe I am "picking" on America in saying these things. She is the 'Leader' and everything she puts out is affecting the whole globe.  She is also accountable to God for all He has given her. "To whom much is given, much is required."

For a long time now, God has been watching this mighty tree that He planted turn slowly "poisonous" in its spiritual influence on the earth. The "poison" has spread far and wide. He has decided on a massive 'pruning' operation - to prune the tree right back and hope it comes right. If this does not work, He will cut the tree down. A tree that He loved and nurtured from a tiny seedling.  A tree that used to spread so much good in the earth.  If this great "pruning" does not work He will tear it down because it is bearing such "poisonous" fruit which now outweighs the good.

This is not to say that America does not produce "good" in the earth still. There are wonderful godly people and godly works still based out of that great nation. Its just that for some time now, the spiritual and moral "poison" coming out of her has more and more outweighed it. And this can no longer be allowed to continue.

I truly hope you are not offended, my friends. I hope you can see that a watchman must cry out what he sees. And this is one of the most important things that I see happening in the earth today.  Please understand, I write these things truly out of love, not hate. -Out of hope, not malice.

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God bless you all!
Andrew Strom.

Updated: "The 14 PREDICTIONS" + More Added -by Andrew Strom.

Additional warnings are below. But first, I believe the most important point that needs to be made about the current financial crisis is that it had SPIRITUAL roots and causes - not just physical or economic ones. Materialism, greed and selfishness are SPIRITUAL diseases. And these had an enormous role to play in the crisis that has unfolded. That is partly what enabled myself and others to see what was coming. It was obvious "spiritually" that this age of rampant self-indulgence would bear terrible fruit. We could "feel" it and see it.

It is this 'spiritual' crisis in the West that is ultimately responsible for what is happening. And it is this materialism and selfishness that must now be stripped away. Until this purging has done its full work, I do not believe God will allow it to end. He loves us too much to leave us in such a state.

When it comes to these "14 Predictions" I am often reminded of Arthur Schopenhauer's famous saying that "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." I guess we are getting up to the "self-evident" stage about now, but there sure was a lot of "ridicule" flying around in the early days!

Below is a timeline of the specific warnings that we published from2001 to 2010. After that I will add some additional points to ponder:

SEPT 11, 2001: "The HORNS of American financial power have fallen, have fallen." [-About the Twin Towers].

JUNE 2003: "Revival is going to come in the midst of judgements the like of which you've never seen, and God is going to touch your economy." (-'Thundering in Nashville').

14 DEC 2006: "Let me make some predictions at this point, so I can be clear about what this country [USA] is facing:
(1) Firstly, I believe it is IMPOSSIBLE to avoid Judgment.
(2) Expect a great economic crash - and expect it SOON.

MARCH 14, 2007: "Eight months ago we began to publish warnings about the bursting of this Housing bubble, and the likely impact it would have. saying that in many ways it would be God's MERCY - to shock us out of our complacency and apathy - and to cause us to desperately seek His face."

NOV 8, 2007: "I continue to stand by my statement of many months ago that within 3 years this nation will be in a terrible financial depression - possibly the worst that it has ever seen.
Right now, things are right on track to see this fulfilled."

NOV 2007, Wisconsin USA: "This is the last good Christmas America will have for years..
"Here's my scenario. You can test me. You can remember what I'm saying right now.  See if it plays out how I say.  In six months time I expect Recession in the United States. In 12 months time I expect the beginning of a Depression." (-AUDIO - 'Survive the Coming Depression - Nov 07' on Sermonindex.net).

10 MONTHS LATER - Sept/Oct 2008 - The two largest Mortgage giants in the world Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac) fail, the largest Insurance Company and the largest thrift bank in the USA both collapse, Lehman Brothers goes bankrupt (almost taking the entire financial system with it), Money Markets reel, the Investment banking industry crumbles, and the stock market suffers its worst-ever one-day loss, plunging 777 points in a single day.

24 SEPT 2008: "The DEPRESSION HAS BEGUN".

BACK-TRACK - 31 JAN 2008: "My strong belief is that, particularly in America, this crisis is going to be WORSE than the GREAT DEPRESSION. And it is going to last for YEARS. Other developed nations, such as England, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Germany and even Australasia, are going to be very hard-hit also. China, India and much of Asia will be pounded at first, but I believe will recover faster.. I believe that Christians in America need to face the fact that they are about to live through one of the WORST 5 - 7 year periods that this country has ever seen by far. And they need to be preparing NOW."

OCT 2008: "I am convinced this "breaking" is not merely financial in nature. It is also aimed at the church, the media and the culture. We are about to see another 'Great Reformation'." (-From Andrew's book, 'SURVIVE THE DEPRESSION', Oct 2008).

OCT 2008: "When I was down in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina there was one Spirit-filled Fellowship that was "thriving" in the midst of the chaos. They had filled their sanctuary with food, clothes, and emergency supplies of all kinds - and they were ministering to hundreds. I cannot tell you how important this is, if we want to "thrive" - not just "survive" - through this current crisis. So will you be a "light shining in the darkness" during this present crisis, my friends?" (-Book 'SURVIVE THE DEPRESSION', Oct 2008).

20 DEC 2008: "The WORST of the slump is set to last for. 7 years."

10 APRIL 2009: "A "DOUBLE DIP" DEPRESSION .. The phrase "A Double-Dip Depression" has been on my heart for many months, so it is no surprise to see a temporary respite. But we need to be aware that it is simply an illusion - so we don't get lulled back to sleep and cease to prepare for what lies ahead.

18 JUNE 2009: "We stated not long ago our belief that we are headed for a "Double-Dip" Depression. I do believe there will be a further 'wave' downwards, and we need to keep preparing - both physically and spiritually."

1 APRIL 2010: "If this 'second wave down' has not occurred by the end of 2011 then I will need to issue a public apology to the Body of Christ."

FURTHER POINTS - THE 'TIMEFRAME': As you know, I am on the record as stating that I believe the "worst" of the slump will last for 7 years. People may think that, since this 'Depression' really began with the great collapse of late 2008, perhaps we can expect to come out of it around the end of 2015 or so. But wait.

While I certainly acknowledge the "possibility" of 2015 - we need to remember that we are talking about the "worst" of the slump here. By all indications we are now entering a "second leg down" in this crisis - and things are about to get noticeably worse.

My own view is that I expect the "worst" of this crisis to last for the next 7 years until around 2018. And even then, I expect only a "mild" recovery until the early 2020's - when I expect things to start taking off again. (That is - if we survive intact).

If we look at the last two "Great Bear" markets, they both resulted in war. The last one was 80 years ago - which ended with World War 2. The previous one was 70 years before that - and ended with the American Civil War. I expect this one to be ugly also.

People think it is "impossible" and 'ridiculous' to talk about a breakup of the USA or war in Europe, etc. These people have not lived through a 10-year "Bear" market. The possibility is very real, the stresses are unbelievable, and I personally will be delighted if we make it through the next 15 years without major armed conflict. Even though America may be at most risk from forces "within" rather than without, we should not even rule out war involving the US on her own home soil. We are in an hour when anything could happen - especially towards the end of this crisis. Civil strife will greatly increase.

RESPONSE FROM the CHRISTIANS: We have entered the time of greatest 'shaking' and danger that we are likely to see in our lifetimes. We have the choice of either cowering in fear or being about the work of the kingdom. The true Christians will stand up at such a time. I believe God's call to us is very simple. His people will be preserved if they stay focused on serving and loving God and others. It is about as simple as that. Great shaking means great opportunity for those in tune with Him. Please stay in prayer - and be encouraged, my  friends.

Do not allow "fear" to rule your heart. Be listening to the Spirit of God and many spiritual victories will be won in this time. But it is important to know what kind of period we are entering into, so we can truly prepare our hearts. "Blessed are the peacemakers."

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Andrew Strom's book 'TRUE & FALSE REVIVAL' available here.

I have a limited quantity of Andrew Strom's book, True & False Revival, where you can read the TRUTH about the Lakeland 'Revival', and which Voice Publications have printed. 

What are the FACTS about Todd Bentley's Lakeland revival?

• What is really behind the strong emphasis on getting 'drunk' and strange angel encounters, etc? What is happening around the world as this 'anointing' hits other places?
• Why does the New Age "Kundalini" experience seem almost identical to this 'impartation'?
• What is True Revival, and how do we tell the false from the true?
• All these questions and more are answered in this provocative book.

The author, Andrew Strom, spent 11 years in the same Prophetic movement as Todd Bentley - until he quit in anguish over the unbiblical and bizarre things going on in that movement. Thus he brings a real "Insider's" perspective to this subject.

HOW to GET THIS BOOK

We are making it available for *ANY* donation to cover the costs of printing and posting. We do not want anyone missing out just through lack of finances. If you are able to send a 'donation' that is great. But otherwise just enough to cover post and packing costs. The best thing to do is simply pray and send whatever God leads you to send.

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Evan Roberts and Moriah Chapel, Loughor

 Moriah Chapel, Loughor. The Schoolroom where Evan Roberts prayed and addressed the young people, and where the Holy Spirit descended on the meeting, is to the left of the photograph.

The interior of the Schoolroom today.

The raised floor with the pulpit in a central position. When Evan Roberts preached in on that evening of Sunday, the 30th October 1904 the pulpit was to the left of its current position. It was here that the young 26-year old Roberts cried out to God, "Bend me, Lord, bend me!" The result of that prayer was that God did indeed bend Roberts to His divine will, and the Great Welsh Revival of 1904-1905 was born.  

On Monday evening 31st October 1904, Evan Roberts, full of the Holy Spirit, commenced a series of prayer meetings at which he made urgent appeals for people to repent of their sinful state and confess Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. The Great Welsh Revival was under way, and before it closed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people would have been affected, not only in Wales but across the world.

 Hannah & Henry Roberts, Evan's parents.

 Out with the fiery Welsh politician, David Lloyd-George, later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 

In front of Moriah Chapel stands a memorial to Evan Roberts which was unveiled in 1953. A man of great humility, he gave his life over to the Lord for God to use. There are many people today who are descended from folk who responded to the call of the Holy Spirit to 'repent and be saved', and who owe a debt of gratitude for the faithful preaching of this man of God.

Evan Roberts grave is at the rear of the chapel in the small churchyard.

Inside Moriah chapel as it is today, looking down from the balcony.

 The interior of the Moriah chapel looking from the pulpit.

  The 'Big Seat' (Y Sêt Fawr) where the Elders of the Chapel sit during services.

Today, visitors come on a pilgrimage to Moriah Chapel from across the world to soak up the atmosphere of the place where God called His servant and that servant, Evan Roberts, answered the call.

Pray for Revival in France

"The kingdom of France is predestined by God to defend the Church of Christ Our Lord. This kingdom will be great among all the kingdoms of the earth. In as much as it is loyal to its calling, it will be victorious. If it proves unfaithful in this, it will be punished harshly. Nevertheless, it will remain until the end of time." 

- St. Remi at King Clovis' baptism in 498.

From its very beginning, God has had a plan and a special calling for France.

We could write volumes about the historical and spiritual significance of France's past or speculate as to what God is doing today, but it really boils down to this:

France is poised for revival

HOW CAN WE SAY THAT?

- Evangelical Christian believers account for only .8% of the population. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (1.5% and .9%) have more Evangelicals per capita.

- Church attendance is one of the lowest in Europe (6-8%, compare that to the USA's 44%).

- 80% of French people have never owned or even seen a Bible.

- There are approximately 50,000 full-time practitioners of occult arts (tarot, fortune telling, psychic healing, etc) who easily outnumber the 35,000 full-time Christian workers in France.

- Muslims make up approximately 10% of France's population (compared to 1.5% in the USA). This is the highest percentage in any European country.

(Source: Operation World)

precisely.

The light that shines where it is the darkest shines the brightest.

But we need prayer to pave the way!

Learn how you can join the international campaign to spread the Kingdom of God in France!

More on France (from the United Prayer for France and FurrsinFrance.com):

France needs re-evangelization

Secularization has become a movement in France of which the sole objective is to confine faith and its expression to the private sphere. Today, barely one percent of the French nation can be counted as Evangelical Christians. We therefore believe it is time for the spiritual children of France to return to the soil of France and re-ignite the hearts of the French with the revival fires that had to leave France 300 years ago. This is not a work that can be accomplished by the ability of man, hence we believe the best way to go about it, is to establish a flood wave of sustainable prayer for France. We have heeded God’s call for the French nation and we invite you to join us in this endeavor.

Since 2001, French Evangelicals have come together during the season of Lent to pray specifically for France. For the 40 days before Easter, they have sought God and pleaded with Him to renew and revive their churches and to move in France. In the 7 years since this prayer effort began, there has been a gradual "opening" of French culture to Evangelicals and Christianity. The riots in the cities of France in the Fall of 2005 further pushed the subject of religion and belief into the public discourse. In fact, Nicholas Sarkozy has said, "Religion's place in France at the beginning of the third millennium is central." This statement, coming from the current French president (before his term) is astounding! France is beginning to re-think it's spiritual heritage. Young people, especially, are turning to the message of Jesus. A new day is dawning.

Watch the video now.

REVIVE ME, O LORD

(Sermon preached by Rev’d Colin Gordon-Farleigh, at Nant Hall Presbyterian Church, Prestatyn, North Wales, January 11th 2009)

Read: Psalm 90

For whoever finds Me finds life and wins approval from the Lord. (Proverbs 8.35)

Throughout the Church there are pockets of people who make up the remnant truly seeking revival; people who pray fervently every day that God will revive His Church, and come to the rescue of His people. But not everyone has the same ― or even the right ― idea about revival. Here’s a quote by one Christian writer:

"Many have an idyllic and sweet idea of revival. And they pray to this end. But our prayer should be to expose sin and lies, first in our own hearts and then in the churches. To pray for a great conviction of sin and that man would crumble and surrender at the terrifying presence of a Holy God. Then they would find the sweet, rapturous joy of being at peace with their God!... Do you still want revival? We must pray and PREACH to this end. If we are silent, or silenced, many in the churches will perish." - Jeri Woods.

How easy it is to pray that the Lord will revive His Church, casting our eyes towards all those people whom we personally consider need reviving the most. How easy it is to point the finger at others as we consider just why thy Church is in the state that it is in. Of course the problem is easily recognised, because the whole problem of the back-slidden is the same as that of the unsaved --- the problem of sin in their lives. Change that and you change everything. Fix that problem and the solution is plainly seen.

Yet surely the problem when we look at the sin in people's lives is that we do so all too often from an outside viewpoint, considering that, because we are praying so fervently for REVIVAL, and for the SALVATION of others, that we must be pretty good, and pretty sin-free! Yet the truth is such a long way from this in reality.

• Our recognition that there is a problem is a blessing.
• Our acceptance that it is a problem caused by sin is a blessing.
• Our understanding that it can be resolved through the prayers of repentant sinners is a blessing.
• When we can recognise, accept, and understand that we are a part of the problem, then that too is a blessing.

In praying for revival the first thing is to lay yourself before God, confessing that you are a sinner, repenting of every bit of sin that stains your life and seeking God's forgiveness. Of course, one of the issues regarding forgiveness is that before we can expect to be forgiven ourselves then we need to ensure that we have forgiven others, and so it is important to search your heart and forgive everyone whom you have ever wronged, no matter how far back in your life you need to go.

Do you want REVIVAL with all of your heart, all of your mind and all of your soul? If you do then you need to understand that it comes at a personal cost. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ gave everything possible in order that all people might be forgiven their sins and be reconciled to God through Him, so we must also be prepared to give everything that we have if we are to truly answer His call to 'Follow Me.'

When Jesus calls you to follow Him, if you choose to respond then it's a call to follow Him to every place, even to the Cross. Not a response that can be made by the faint-hearted or the weak, for to be a true Christian takes great strength, great humility, and great compassion.

He calls you to follow Him:

• Into the darkest places - in order that His light might shine from you.
• To touch the sick - that His healing touch might revive and renew them.
• To reach out to the lonely and the depressed - that your hands, words and compassion, might convey His comfort.
• To seek out the lost - that you might, in His name, bring them home to the fold.
• To proclaim the Gospel of Repentance, Forgiveness and Reconciliation - the same gospel message that God sent Jesus to bring to the world in the beginning.

It's not easy being a Christian. It means far more than going to church once or even twice on a Sunday. It's a 24/7 thing! It means that you have to give up the world but not give up on the world. The burden is a heavy one, being burdened for the lost, yet Jesus will carry the burden for you if you only hand it over to Him. He said: Come to Me, all you who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-30)

If we are to fulfil Christ’s call to us to follow Him then we must be confident in our faith, and in order to be confident Christians we must first learn to accept ourselves for who we are, for only when we can accept ourselves can we be accepted in the fullest sense by others. We need to be confident about who we are and what our purpose is. we need to understand the journey that we are on, the means of travel, the destination and how we can get there. So often we waste time seeking the approval of others, failing in confidence to go on with our journey without their approval that what we are doing, and the manner in which we are doing it, is the best and right way. In her book, Approval Addiction, Joyce Meyer points out the need to first discover, and accept, exactly who you are, helping you to face the fears that bind you to the past, so that you can shake them off once and for all. In her closing words she says this: learn to please God, not people. You have His approval, and that is all you really need.

You want REVIVAL? Well then, get on your knees and confess everything that is wrong in your life, begging God to forgive you. Let REVIVAL start with you, and then see how infectious it can become.

Amen

Off to Wales today! Another part of 'The Journey'

In an hour or so I shall be hitting the road on my journey into Wales where I shall be preaching the Word tomorrow at Moriah Chapel in Loughor near Swansea. It's another part of the journey which I embarked upon so many years ago, a journey which has a goal of reaching, as Augustus wrote, 'that kingdom which has no end.' I remember likening my journey to being on a train that stopped at numerous stations, each of which was an important place to get off and explore, discovering more of the knowledge that I needed in order to continue my journey in the right direction. In fact, I guess that what walking with Christ is in so many ways, a journey of discovery, for in discovering more about God I think that you inevitably discover more about yourself as well.

So what have I discovered about myself along the way? Well, for one thing, I have discovered that I have a capacity for compassion that far exceeds anything that I would have thought myself capable of. I have discovered strengths that I never realised I had, and concern for others that far outweighs concern for myself. I have discovered that true happiness comes to you as a result of bringing happiness into the lives of others. I have discovered that the joys of giving far outweigh the pleasures of receiving, although the latter should never be falsely discounted.

I have learned that, in terms of strength and endurance, alone I am no more than average, yet with God before me, Christ by my side, and driven by the Holy Spirit, I have strength and endurance that is always sufficient for any and every need that I might have. In this I have discovered that most basic truth, that, as John Donne so succinctly put it, 'No man is an island ...', for in my alone-ness I am nothing, yet in my oneness with God I am all that I need to be.

Forty years ago this coming September, I committed my life to Christ and to serving Him in any and every way that I could, and the journey that my commitment has led me on has been amazing. I have had the blessings of good companions along the way, and have found that God has never let me down, even though there have been many times when I have let Him down. They say that to err is human, and I guess that explains the difference between us and God when it comes to letting down.

The responsibility of being a Christian is immense! Jesus Christ has commissioned each of His followers to take the gospel message into the world and share it with all whom we meet. We are commissioned to bear a burden for the lost souls whom only Christ can offer salvation to. That means that whenever we fail to share the message with someone we meet we run the risk of condemning them to a future apart from God. It's that thought, the dreadfulness of such a situation, that becomes a spur in our Christian lives, urging us onward to share and serve, serve and share, not stopping to count the cost to ourselves but only considering all in terms of the kingdom benefits that can accrue to one who receives the wonderful gift of salvation.

So tomorrow, when I once again have the privilege to share God's Word, my thoughts will not be about how people meet and accept me but on how they meet and accept God, for surely the one thing that is of great importance is that we should diminish and let God increase. In sharing the good news of the gospel message we are not the creator's of the message but the bearers of it. We are, in effect, Ambassadors for Christ Himself, and what could be better than performing our duty the very best way possible.

One hundred and five years ago the Spirit of Revival spread out from Moriah Chapel and its influence was felt around the world. Hundreds of thousands of people were harvested into the Kingdom as a result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Will Revival sweep out once more from Moriah as it did back then with the young Evan Roberts calling on God, "Bend me!"? Only God knows the answer to that. In the meantime, we are called upon to be ready to share the Word both in season and out of season. I'm ready to do that each and every day, and pray that God will continue to bless me as He has done for so many years.

When it comes to the question of Revival, one thing that I have learned is that every time one person accepts Christ into their heart the a mini-revival has taken place. Someone who was spiritually dead has been revived and becomes spiritually alive. Add together all of the individuals who come to Christ each day and you can see that revival never ceases to take place. Our problem is only in the way that we view the situation, expecting, as we do, Revival to come only in a massive outpouring that affects thousands, yet God does things His way, and that is often not the way that we would expect.

It's time to take our blinkers off and instead of worrying and fretting about what we think God is not doing, we should be praising Him for what He is doing. Possibly the one great thing that stands in the way of a grand-scale Revival is ourselves, as we limit God to the size that fits comfortably into human understanding.

It's time to let go and let God!

Moriah Chapel Revival Meeting CD's are now available

On 3rd and 4th of April I was Moderator for a Revival gathering which was organised by Andrew Strom, and took place at Moriah Chapel in Loughor, near Swansea, South Wales, which is the site where the 1904/1905 Revival, which was the last GREAT WELSH REVIVAL, broke out when the Holy Spirit fell on the young Evan Roberts as he prayed "Bend me, Lord! Bend me!"

The Gathering was blessed with gifted speakers over the two days, which included Andrew Strom (NZ), David Servant (USA), Dyfrig Griffiths (WALES), and Alex Tinson (UK), in addition to which I led the Saturday afternoon Session which was a talk on healing followed by a blessing and anointing on the many people who came forward for healing prayer. As well as the talks there were some great worship times with prayer the forefront.

The whole of the Gathering was recorded by Voice Media under the watchful eye of Martin Holding, and the recordings are now available to get by post as a set of ten CD's. If you would like a set then just send us an email with your details on. All we ask of you is that you make a donation towards the costs of production and dispatch, and they will be sent off to you straight away. You can either send a cheque, money order or postal order, to Voice Ministries, 33 Balfour Street, Runcorn, WA7 4PH, UK, or you can donate by Paypal by clicking on the 'DONATE' icon on the website. The full set of recordings is only available from Voice Ministries, so don't miss the opportunity to get it and be inspired by it.

Revival! Memories of 1904 and the last great Welsh Revival

Last week I went to stay with friends in Swansea, South Wales, for a few days and, whilst there, we went to visit Moriah Chapel at Loughor, which is the place where the 1904 Revival --- the last great Welsh Revival --- broke out. What a great experience it was to stand in the schoolroom where the Revivalist, Evan Roberts, then a young man of 26, spoke to the young children and where the Holy Spirit filled people with such a sense of their need for repentance and salvation that a great spiritual shaking began.

What a time that was! As a result of the Revival, which spread from Lougher across much of the world, hundreds of thousands of souls were saved and individual lives changed. Whole communities across Wales were radically changed and even society itself underwent drastic change, pubs closing their doors and judges being handed white cotton gloves to signify that there were no cases to be tried. No records were kept of the actual number converted, but 150,000 is a very conservative estimate during the first six months. Wales once again became a God-fearing nation as it had been as a result from previous Revivals.

It was reported that not only did the colliers put in a better day's work, but also that the pit ponies failed to understand their orders because those in charge of them no longer cursed and swore at them! Within both families and communities there were healing of relationships where previously there had been rifts. People who had not spoken to one another for years repented and made up.

It's important to understand that all this came about because there were people praying to God to come and change the world. When we seek Revival then we are seeking change. Change from the life which we are currently experiencing to that style of living which God would have us live. True Revival starts with the individual, for only the prayers of the repentant sinner will stir God's heart. Without repentance there can be nothing, for it means that we are still in sin, and sin is a total abomination to God. We must be cleansed and the only way for that to happen is for us to humble ourselves before God and repent of every area of sin in our lives, no matter how old or how seemingly small --- no sin is small enough to be considered insignificant by God!

Looking around us at the times in which we live there is such a need for a spiritual shaking in the world and in the Western world in particular. If only we could see a genuine hunger for God amongst the people, yet that doesn't even exist in so many of our churches. Complacency has been allowed to convert to apathy. A weak ineffectual watered-down gospel has been created in order to satisfy the listener. Many churches have become more like Sunday Clubs than places where God is truly worshipped. Walk into the vast majority of churches whilst people are seated awaiting the commencement of the service and you can hardly hear yourself think because of the noisy chatter that is going on. Ask people to be quiet and you upset them. They will often tell you that it's the only opportunity that they get to speak to the person sitting next to them. Well, despite the fact that I may well upset some people, I suggest that when you come to a service with the intent to worship God then the best thing is to hold a reverent silence, thus ensuring that you are well-positioned to hear God speaking to you.

In fact a good maxim would be:

• Before the service begins prepare yourself for worship and listen for God.
• During the service listen to God.
• After the service tell others about God.

If you really want to talk to someone that you currently only see at the church service then surely the best thing would be to arrange to get together with them during one of the remaining 166 - 7 hours of the week! That way you can chat over a cuppa or a meal as well!

Let us all turn to God with genuine repentant hearts and confess our sins to Him. Then, when we have done that, let us plead with Him through prayer to send His Holy Spirit down upon us and revive us and the whole of His church and thereby heal our lands of the corruption that has been allowed to exist and foment.

False Prophets & True Revival

We are warned in the Bible about our need to be on guard against false prophets, especially as the end of the Age draws near, and amongst the many signs that we are present at the birth pangs of the end there are many appearances of false prophets in the world today; those who would seek to lead Christians away from Christ and away from God, under the guise of Revival. What is needed therefore, is a greater awareness and discernment of all that is going on around you.

By and large the stage is well set for such things. It's widely recognised that the church in general is lukewarm at best, and there are many who are today crying out "Lord, Lord," whom Christ will not recognise when the Day of Judgement comes. It is time for people to look long and hard at themselves and REPENT of all that is wrong in their lives, Christians and non-Christians alike. Part of the act of repentance will be recognising the need for spiritual reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. No matter what you may be led into thinking, one thing is absolutely certain, and that is that there is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ the Son. He is the Truth! He is the Life! He is the Way!

If you are invited to one of the many Revival Meetings that are taking place in the world today and decide to attend, make sure that before you attend you go before the Lord in prayer, seeking His protection from anything in that Meeting that might be harmful to you. If you know beforehand that there is controversy about the Meeting or the leaders then ensure that if you really feel that you must go then you are covered by prayer for the whole time that you will be at that Meetings. There are leaders today whose agenda is far from bringing people to know the One True God. Rather the agenda that they work to is to distance you from God and from Jesus by all manner of hocus pocus, trying to convince you that the 'signs and wonders' that proceed at those Meetings are of God, when in fact they are from Satan himself. In order to discern what is true revival and what is false, everything MUST be measured against the Bible. Only God's Word is paramount!

So how can you be sure that you discern correctly? Firstly, of course, it goes without saying that you must know God in a deep and intimate way, both through prayer and your daily walk with him. The more you can identify God then the more easily you can discern counterfeits! If you handled large quantities of bank notes as part of your daily job then you'd quickly recognise the counterfeits from the real thing. It would become almost second nature to you. In the same way, once you get to really know God through living the faith, spotting the false amongst the true will become second nature. As soon as something counterfeit is offered you will instinctively recognise it as such.

Of course, getting to know God means that you also need to enjoy getting to grips with His Word, for the easiest way to recognise non-Scriptural teaching is to know what Scriptural teaching is. It has often been said that too much knowledge, just as too little, is a bad thing. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you know all the answers and therefore ignoring the need for a Spirit of Discernment.

The Holy Spirit will guide us provided that we let Him. The still small voice that we hear when things are wrong will save us from being deceived, PROVIDED that we hear, listen and obey! If you feel that something is wrong then don't ignore the feeling. Immediately send up 'arrow' prayers, asking for confirmation one way or the other.

How easy it is for people to be fooled simply because they are being offered something that they desire. For so long Christians have sought Revival. They have looked everywhere for signs of it. They have prayed for it. They really want it badly! Then along comes someone who appears to make all the right noises, say all the right words, have the right appearance, and WHAM!!! Without any questioning people are ready to accept that, just because something looks right then it must be right.

Satan is very cunning. He knows every weak spot of the human race, and he will exploit the desires and lusts of people whatever they are, whether it's power or money or sex. The only way for us to stand against Satan is to ensure that our hearts are right with God, and that means that we need to undergo a lot of soul-searching to discover all that is wrong in our lives. It's never an easy task to admit that you are not as good as you should be, but it is an essential one if you are to be right with God. Having exposed all that is wrong then we need to confess it to God and express our sorrowful repentance. We need to throw ourselves on His mercy and seek His forgiveness. Only then, through confession, repentance and forgiveness, can we be right with God.

Many of the 'signs' of the current wave of Revivals, such as the Lakeland Revival, display acts of chaos. Leaders such as Todd Bentley project spirits of chaos into people's lives, not spirits of peace. Standing back from the event, do you really imagine that it's pleasing to God to see His people jerking around in a convulsion, or running about screaming, or being kicked, or punched, and much more, all supposedly in the Name of Jesus!

True, God will supply your needs, not only that, but He will do so in abundance. But do you really think that one of your needs is to become immensely wealthy? Do you really believe that God will dispatch angels who will help you to amass worldly wealth? Is it not true that when you pay overt attention to worldly wealth then the true wealth that awaits you in heaven is gradually getting further and further away from you?

Of course we would love to see and to experience Revival, but only when it is TRUE REVIVAL. Remember that revival starts with the individual responding to God and living in obedience to Him in and through Jesus Christ. It comes about when we get on our knees and confess, when we repent, when we receive forgiveness, and then when we do as Christ has commanded us, and go out and share the Gospel message of Salvation through Jesus Christ.